A debate to hike University fee has been rejected by Lecturers from the University of Nairobi
The University Academic Staff Union UoN chapter secretary George Omondi said it’s useless to increase fees yet the management is misusing funds on unnecessary costs.
He said the university management, for instance, hires tents for up to Sh200,000 per day yet the institution has enough halls to host events.
“If you visit some of our classrooms, projectors are not there, facilities to help us teach are not there yet we are concentrating on things that do not benefit students and teachers at the university,” Omondi said.
He said the vice-chancellors reached the decision to hike fees without holding public participation as per the Constitution.
Lecturers, he said, were never consulted on the issue.
Vice-chancellors are pushing for the increment of fees for government-sponsored students from Sh16,000 to Sh48,000 per annum.
The amount has been constant since 1989 when the cost of training was capped at Sh89,000 per year.
The VCs argue that the current fees cannot sustain the cost of living caused by inflation and shifts in economic scales.
The proposed three-fold increment will become operational next year if Parliament approves it.
Omondi lamented that if accomplished, the 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary school will be unrealistic since students from poor backgrounds will not be able to afford a university education.
“You are actually saying that most of our children should end their education at form four.”